Sunday, July 9, 2017

Still Quilting the Border

Several of you have commented I need to enter my quilt in a quilt exhibit. This spring when my friends and I attended the Chicago Quilt Show, I saw information about IQS having a blue & white exhibit in 2019. I forgot about this exhibit until you guys commented. I tried to track down the information and this is what I finally found - 



Sarah’s Revival in Blue by Gail Smith
Sapphire Celebration:
Celebrating 45 Years

Get ready to make a blue and white quilt for the 45th anniversary of the International Quilt Festival in 2019.

• Entries may be Traditional, Modern
or Art.
• Entries must have been made between 1974 and 2019.
• The minimum size is 50” x 50”
• You may enter up to five quilts.
• The quilts will be kept for three years from August 2019 to  August 2022.

Information on opening and closing dates will be forthcoming right
here soon!




They are going to keep the quilts for this exhibit 3 years! I don't know if I can let my quilts go for that long. I'll have to really think about this. And who knows if my quilts will even be accepted?

Over the last several weeks, I've been asked several times about what I used to mark my quilt. Here is a link to a post I wrote in March where I explained my marking tools.


Now, onto this week's quilting progress.


I had hoped to get the white border completely quilted last week, but that didn't happen but most of the row is quilted.


A close up view of the quilting.



There is just this section of white to quilt yet. I should be able to get that easily finished this week. Then I'll roll and start on the outside blue border. 

We harvested the wheat field Friday evening before the rains hit us on Saturday. If the weather cooperates this week, I'll be busy with baling the straw. If the weather doesn't cooperate, I'll get going with quilting and try to get this quilt finished.

I don't think I've ever shown you what the
quilt looks like when I'm not quilting. Years ago, my mother gave me some quilt backing fabrics. I used some of them but this one I never did. Somehow this became the quilt cover. I have it folded and it is perfect to cover the quilt in the frame. 


When I want to quilt, I just throw it to the back and quilt.

Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday StitchingQuilting is More Fun than Housework, Show & Tell Monday With Bambi, Design Wall Monday, Em's ScrapbagLove Laugh Quilt, BOM's Away, Quilter's Monday Fiber TuesdayEsther's Wednesday WOW!

23 comments:

  1. You are right...three years is an eternity to be without your quilt! I love seeing your quilting each week. What is your backing like on this quilt? Your spare fabric is a perfect dust cover.

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    1. When I have a quilt in the frame, I like to keep it covered. The cover protects again dust and also little fingers that sometimes touch.

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  2. It is a beautiful quilt and lots of hard work.. To go without it for 3 years would be hard.

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    1. I don't know what I'll do. They haven't released the detailed information yet but I'm assuming I'll have to ship the quilt through the mail. That will be hard for me to do also.

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  3. I have never thought to keep my quilts covered when they are on the frame - 3 years is a long time to be parted from your quilt you would almost forget you had it by time you get you would get it back.

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  4. I don't think I could part with a quilt for three years, but I have a blue and white quilt that I could enter also. Your quilt is getting more beautiful each time I see it.

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    1. I look forward to seeing what your blue & white looks like. I'm not sure what I'll do yet.

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  5. You'll never know if it will be accepted if you don't try. But think of the exposure your work will receive if accepted and part of what will surely be a traveling exhibit. Go for it!!

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  6. Your quilt is certainly show worthy. It would certainly be an honor to be accepted. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

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  7. Such a beautiful quilt! I love seeing your progress on it. Maybe you'll find a quilt show to enter it in that doesn't involve it being gone for 3 years! That would be hard!

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  8. Beautiful, your quilting is stunning!

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  9. I made a blue and white quilt in 2014 so it would qualify for the show (if it were accepted). But I, like you, don't want to be parted from it for 3 yrs. Too much can happen in 3 yrs. Your quilting is wonderful.

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  10. Hi Gretchen
    This quilt really is a beautiful one. I've enjoyed your posts keeping us updated with it.
    It really is big show worthy.
    Consider this quilt and also your baby Jane which would also be big show worthy. This blue and white show was made for you!

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  11. Well Gretchen, I am thinking about doing this! It would have to be a Sue Garman pattern and hand quilted! With new hands by October maybe I could start one. I have a blue and white, but not a difficult quilt and would not qualify. So maybe this will be my 2019 Challenge quilt! I know your Dear Jane or the Churn Dash would be accepted with your beautiful work!

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  12. Thank you for your wonderful inspiration and link to the Show and Tell Monday !! Hug Bambi

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  13. Hi Gretchen I'm afraid I'd belike you thinking twice about letting my quilts out of my safe keeping for 3 years!!!!!!! I know your quilts would be excepted theres no way they would say no to them. I'm sure going to miss seeing your beautiful hand quilting on this quilt, just love that double line quilting. Hugs Glenda

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  14. Hi Gretchen,
    I can certainly understand your hesitation at a quilt being held for three years - that is a long time! My totally unbiased (!) opinion is that of course they will accept your quilt! It is fabulous. 100% fab. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  15. Great idea to have a quilt cover for long term projects.
    Wow... 3 years is a long time for a quilt to be away from home!!
    Don't know if I could do that?!?!

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  16. I have enjoyed watching your progress on this magnificent quilt. What a true heirloom you are creating! I don't think I would be willing to let a quilt go for 3 years. I put some in the county fair a year ago, and that was just a week. Much better, IMO.

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  17. Just finding your blog, hand quilting, so beautiful. I hope you have someone to pass down your skills to as this is a dying art. I have Longarm Quilting Inspirations and we live in NE Iowa. I like to visit our state fair in Des Moines and love to look, see, smell and touch the samples of wheat they bring in for judging. Around here we have corn, beans and a little oats and alfalfa.

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  18. I can't believe this is almost finished. Getting excited for you! Three years is definitely a very long time to have a quilt out - makes you really consider whether you want to participate or not!

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  19. Oh Gretchen! It is exquisite! I would like to say it inspired me but I would never be so persistent and goal oriented no matter how hard I tried! My ADD always kicks in!.......I love the single block quilts.....such a visual impact! True eye candy! I commend your efforts and bow to the hand stitching diva! Thanks for always sharing your process....I have learned so much!

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    1. Thank you Carrolyn. When I put a quilt in the quilting frame, I just have to keep after it. Quilts don't become finished unless they're quilted. I don't think I would do good at quilting a large quilt in a hoop though. I don't like having the bulk weighing me down. It's bad enough just to hand sew the binding but it quilt it that way would frustrate me. As for my quilting stitches, I've hand quilted for over 45 years. It comes with practice. Thanks for your comments!

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